Letter: NBEA vote exposes teachers' motives

Friday

May 9, 2014 at 12:01 AM

NBEA vote exposes teachers' motives

NBEA vote exposes teachers' motives

Thanks to the vote of no confidence in the school superintendent announced by the New Bedford Educators Association, there should no longer be any doubt in anyone's mind that a major problem in New Bedford's school system has been the poor quality of too many of our teachers.

It is said that many teachers are "afraid for their jobs" due to the new state-mandated standards for evaluation. These standards make clear what is expected of teachers. Such standards are common in many other professions (doctors, lawyers, pilots, plumbers, firefighters, etc.) and are used to ensure that such professionals really know what they are doing and are getting the expected results.

It is about time that teachers are held to certain standards and are held accountable for their successes and failures. Good teachers have no reason to worry. Poor teachers do. Evidently, that is why some NBEA members voted as they did. They are afraid of being exposed for what they are.

Those teachers unable to get on board with Superintendent Dr. Pia Durkin's recovery plan, who seem committed to harassing her and working against her, are free to leave. They are obstacles to the progress that we, the people of New Bedford, are demanding. We need teachers who will work with the superintendent, not against her.

Dr. Durkin was hired by our elected representatives to bring our school system back from the abyss into which it had been allowed to fall. Should she fail to do so, it will be because of actions like that taken by the NBEA. And if she fails, the next step will be not just another superintendent search. Rather, the state will take over the system. And if that happens, the NBEA will have nothing to say about anything. That is hardly good for its members. If the NBEA had wiser leaders, it would understand that cooperation is in its own best interest, rather than the recalcitrance displayed by this vote, a vote that will accomplish nothing for the students of New Bedford.